Focusing and printing apparatus for photographic enlarging



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 25, 1940. H. s. KIDWELL FOCUSING AND PRINTINGAPPARATUS FOR PHOT'OGRAPHIC ENLARGNG Filed April ll, 1939 INVENTOR. mi@Kme/l; BY

A 1 IORNEV.,

June 25, 1940. H. s, KIDWELL 2,205,480

FOCUSING AND PRINTING APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGING Filed Aprilll, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 25, 1940 UNlTEo STATI-:s

PATENT OFFICE FOCUSING AND PRINTING APPARATUS FOR PHOTOGBAPHIO ENLARGINGApplication April 11, 1939, Serial No. 267,213"

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in focusing and printingapparatus for use in producing photographic enlargements, and especiallyfor producing enlarged prints from miniature film.

This invention has for an object to provide a simple easel structure foruse with photographic enlarging means adapted to project light throughphotographic lm from which an enlarged picture print is desired to beobtained; said easel combining means for focusing the projected imagepreparatory to printing, as well as means for holding and quicklybringing into printing position the sensitized paper upon which theenlarged print is desired to be reproduced.

This invention has for another object to provide a novel focusing andprinting easel for the purposes stated, having a novel combined mask andpaper holding means which is adapted to be easily and quickly loaded,and by which the photographic paper is automatically gripped and held inproper printing position while being printed as well as while beingmoved to and from printing position; said combined mask and paperholding means being of such novel form, construction and mode ofoperation as to not only assure rapid handling of the photographicpaper, but also so as to avoid, in such handling, abra-l sion or injuryto or soiling or finger marking of the emulsion coating of the paper, aswell as fogging of the same.

The invention has for another object to provide a combined mask andpaper holding means which is pivotally mounted for swinging move- 5 mentto and fro between a loading and a printing station, and which sodisposes and holds the photographic paper as'to assure properregistration thereof in printing position free from any tendency tofrictional movement or shift. 4o The invention has for a further objectto provide a permanent focusing eld at the printing station of the easelstructure, said field being of white, washable material calculated toreflect a. sharp and clearly defined projected test image when focusingpreparatory to printing, said focusing field being also suitably markedwith picture framing boundary lines of strong contrasting color, wherebythe proper centering of the picture at the printing station is assured,so that all prints produced will beuniform.

Another object of this invention is toprovide novel means forautomatically stamping the several prints of a given lot produced withan identifying number.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated,` will be understood from the following detailed descriptionof the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in Which- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the novelfocusing and printing easel, with the combined mask and paper holdingmeans thereof disposed in the loading station thereof; Fig. 2 is a partsectional and part elevational view, taken on line 2--2 in Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a perspective view of the novel focusing and printing easel, withthe combined mask and paper holding means thereof disposed in operativerelation to the printing station thereof; Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryvertical sectional view of the print stamping means, taken on line 4-4in Fig. l, but drawn on a somewhat enlarged scale; and Fig. 5 is afragmentary view of the parts shown in Fig. 4, said parts being shownpartly in plan and partly in horizontal section.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form andconstruction of print stamping means; and Fig. 7 ls a vertical crosssectional view of the same, taken on line l-'I in Fig. 6.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above describedviews, to indicate errresponding parts.

The novel focusing and printing easel at `ording to this inventioncomprises a base plate I 0 having adjacent to one end thereof a raisedloading station platform II and adjacent to the other end thereof araised printing station platform I2, said platforms being suitablyspaced apart in relation one to the other. Projecting upwardly from saidbase plate I0 are a pair of transversely spaced and aligned bearingmembers I3 disposed on a line midway between the loading stationplatform II and the printing station platform I2.

The reference character -I4 indicates the body or frame of a combinedmask and paper holding means. Said frame is provided with an opening I5of suitable size and peripheral shape corresponding to that of theenlarged picture desired to be reproduced. The interior margins of saidframe opening I5 are of beveled formation I6 so as to eliminatereflection or casting of shadows on the surface of the photographicpaper when undergoing a printing operation. Said body or frame I4 isprovided with hinging arms I1 equipped with trunnion elements I8.

Said trunnion elements Il are respectively journaled in the respectivebearing members i3, thus pivotally mounting said body or frame forswinging movement to and fro between the loading station platform II andthe printing station platform I2. Suitably arranged in connection withthe base plate I0, and adjacent to the loading station platform II, isan upstanding bumper post I9 having a bumper cushion 20 of resilientmaterial. This bumper means not only engages the body or frame I4 tolimit the movement thereof relative to the loading station platform II,but also acts as a shock-absorber against slamming of said body or frameagainst said loading station platform. Interconnected between the hingedside of the body or frame lI4 and anchor means 2l with which the baseplate I is provided are pull spring elements 22. These spring elements22 are anchored to the base plate I0 at points aligned with the axis ofthe hinging fulcrum of the body or frame I, and consequently function toyieldably urge the latter toward and in stopped relation to the loadingstation platform II, when said body or frame is swung toward and engagedwith said platform II, but, in like manner, when the body or frame isswung about its hinging fulcrum and past dead center toward the printingstation platform I2, said spring elements thereupon yieldably urge thebody or frame toward and in operative stopped relation to said printingstation platu form I2.

Amxed upon the top of the loading station platform II is a facing plate23 sized to fit into the frame opening I of the body or frame I4 so asto lie flush with the paper receiving side of the latter, when the sameis swung onto said loading station platform. This4 facing plate 23possesses a smooth exposed surface so as to eliminate risk of scratchingthe emulsion coated face of photographic paper P, when mounting thelatter upon the body or frame i4.

On its paper receiving side or face, said body or frame I4 is provided,along its inner lungitudinal marginal portion with a raised paper stopmember 24, and, likewise, along one of its lateral marginal portionswith a similar raised paper stop member 25. Secured tothe lateral paperstop member 25, so as to overhang the inner side thereof, is a keeperclip 26 operative to engage and hold the applied photographicy paper Pagainst lifting away from the body or frame i4, especially should thepaper P possess tendency to curl or belly away from the body or frame.

Secured to the body or frame I4, to extend over and inwardly overhangsaid longitudinal paper stop member 24, is a resilient paper gripperclip 21, the free margin of which is provided with a rounded gripperbead or jaw 28 opposed to the paper receiving face of the body orframeM. Said gripper clip 2l is preferably made of springy sheet metalthe tension of which is adapted to normally urge its gripper bead or jaw28 toward the paper receiving face of the body or frame I4. Aixed tothe-base plate I0, in upstanding projection therefrom, is a gripper clipreleasing post or pin 29. When the body or frame I4 is swung onto theloading station platform ll, the upwardly projecting free end of saidpost or pin 29 passes through an opening 30, with which the body orframe I4 is provided, into lifting engagement with the underside of saidgripper clip 21, thus upwardly flexing the later and thereby lifting itsgripper bead or jaw 28 away from and in raised spaced relation to thepaper receiving face of the body or frame I4 (see Fig. 2). l

The body or frame Ill is provided with linger piece means whereby thesame may be conveniently manipulated by the user. Preferably such fingerpiece means comprise one or more finger pieces 3| disposed to projectlaterally from one or both side margins of the body or frame I4.

The upper face of the printing station platform I2 is suitably treatedto provide a permanent focusing ileld adapted to visibly display apicture projected thereon by light traversing the ilm from whichenlargements are desired to be obtained. To this end the top face ofsaid printing station platform is provided with a coating 32 of suitablesubstance preferably of white color, and of a kind capable of beingcleansed by washing. This coating may consist of a lacquer, enamel,paint or the like. This coating is also preferably provided with picturearea indicating or framing lines 33 of contrasting color to denne anarea corresponding to the area of the enlarged printed photographsdesired to be produced. It will be obvious that, prior to beginningprinting operations, the user may focus upon the held provided by thecoating 32, and view the resultant picture image so as to assure cleardefinition of the picture subject and the location thereof in an areacorresponding to the area of the printed photograph desired to beobtained.

In the use of the novel photographic enlargement printing easel, it isvery often desirable to identify given batches of enlargements producedwith an individual record number. This invention therefore includesmeans for automatically effecting such marking of the prints as the sameare made. To this end a novel construction and arrangement of numberstamping means is provided in connection with the printing stationplatform I2. In one form thereof said stamping means comprises asupporting bracket 34 which is affixed to the base plate I9 behind theprinting station platform I2. Carried by said bracket 34 is a xedhorizontal bearing shaft 35 by which is supported a plurality of sets ofchangeable number stamping devices arranged side by side. Each stampingdevice comprises a carrier plate 36 pivotally mounted by its rear endportion on said shaft 35 With its opposite or forward end portionprojecting into a receiving cavity 3l formed in the printing stationplatform I2. Toward its free end each carrier plate 36 is provided witha stop opening 38 through which extends a stop pin 39 which is aiiixedto and which projects horizontally from thelsupporting bracket 34. Atits free end each carrier plate has a rounded nose 40. At its rearwardend portion, each carrier plate is provided with a liournal hub 4I, androtatably mounted on said journal hub is a drive roller 42 provided withan annular finger piece flange 43 by means of which said roller 42 maybe turned. Running over and between the roller 42 and nose 40 of eachcarrier plate 36 is an endless belt 44 from the outer surface of whichprojects a series of stamp elements or types 45 respectively bearingnumerals Oto 9 inclusive in spaced successive order along the extent ofsaid belt 44. suitably anchored to each carrier plate 36 is a pressurespring element 46 which is puchased upon the stop pin 39, whereby itstension exerts an uptilting thrust upon the free end portion of thecarrier plate 36 and the stamp elements or types 45 associatedtherewith, whereby the face of the selected stamp element or typeadjusted to ocg5 cupy the innermost upstanding position is projected toprinting disposition in a plane normally slightly above the plane of thetop surface of the printing station platform I2. It will be obvious thatby manipulating the belts 44 any desired stamp element or type 45 may bedisposed in said printing position and in such association with itsfellows on adjacent belts as to produce a desired identifying number forapplication to given prints which are being made.

Cooperative with the stamping devices is an automatic means for inkingthe operative stamp elements or types thereof. This inking meanscomprises an oscillatable inker arm 41 which is fulcrumed on the shaft35, and which is suitably shaped at its free end portion to hold aninking pad 48 of suitable ink absorbent composition. Connected to saidinker arm 41 by a swiveling knuckle member 49 is one end of a connectingrod 50, the opposite end of which is coupled by a pivot pin 5I to ahinging arm I1 of the combined mask and paper holding frame I4. Inoperation when said frame I4 is swung outward onto said loading platformII, it exerts a pull upon said connecting rod 50 operative to swing downsaid inker arm 41 whereby the inking pad 48 is carried into inkingcontact with the faces of the operative stamp elements or types 45. Whensaid frame I4 is swung inward onto said printing station platform I2, itexerts a thrust upon said connecting rod 50 operative to swing upwardsaid inker arm 41 and its pad 48 away from the operative stamp elementsor types 45 and out of the path of movement of said frame I4 as it movesinto printing position over said platform I2. It will thus be obviousthat the inking of the operative stamp elements or types isautomatically eected by operative manipulations of the bodyI or frameI4.

In Figs. 6 and 7 there is shown a somewhat modied form and constructionof stamping means, the stamping devices of which are disposed invertical positions relative to the base plate Ill. This modified form ofstamping means comprises a supporting bracket 52 having suitably affixedthereto a pair of vertically spaced horizontally extending bearingshafts`53 and 54. Mounted on said bearing shafts are vertically movablesets of changeable member stamping devices arranged side by side. Eachstamping device comprises a carrier plate 55 provided adjacent to itslower end portion with a journal hub 56 having a vertical slotway 51 tostraddle the lower bearing shaft 53. Fixed on. the upper shaft 54 is aguide-block 58. The upper end portion of the carrier plate 55 is doubledupon itself to provide therewith slotted yoke means 59 to slidablystraddle the guide block 58 and shaft 54, the transverse connectingportion 60 of said yoke means constitutes an operative stamp element ortype support. Rotatably mounted on the journal hub 56 is a drive roller6I having an annular finger piece ange 62 by means of which said roller6l may be turned. Running over and between said roller 6I and theoperative stamp element or type support 60 is an endless belt 63 fromthe outer surface of which projects a series of stamp elements or types64 respectively bearing numerals 0 to 9 inclusive. Suitably anchored toeach carrier plate 55 is the lower end of a pull spring 65, the upperend of which is afiixed to the guide block 58. The tension of saidspring 65 exerts an uplifting thrust upon the stamping device it serves,whereby the stamp element or type 64 located in operative position overthe support 80 is yieldably urged somewhat above the top plane of theprinting station platform I2 so as to be engageable by the back ofphotographic paper P carried by the body or frame I4 and deposited, byproper manipulation of the latter, upon the printing station platform.

In the use of the novel easel, after the pro- Jected imageof a film tobe enlarged is focused and registered on the focusing field, thecombined mask and paper holding frame I4 being disposed bottom side upupon the loading station platform II the operator places thephotographic paper P over the bottom side of said frame I4, so that alongitudinal margin thereof abuts the stop member 24 and a lateralmargin thereof abuts the stop member 25. The paper P is thus laid withits emulsion coated face toward the frame opening I5. When the paper isthus positioned on the frame I4, the clip 26 will retain the, sameagainst curling or bellying away from the frame, while the innerlongitudinal marginal portion of the paper will underlie the raisedgripper clip 21.

When the photographic paper is disposed as described, the frame is swungforwardly and onto the printing station platform I 2. As the frame I4 islifted, the gripper clip 21 is carried away from the upwardly flexingpost or pin 29, whereby its tension causes said gripper clip 21 to swingdownwardly so as to move its gripper jaw 28 into clamping engagementwith the paper, thus firmly holding the latter against displacement whenthe frame I4 is manipulated.

As the frame is swung onto the printing station platform it will bereversed so as to expose that portion of the sensitized face of thepaper to be printed through the opening I5, While masking the marginalportions of the paper. As the paper P is thus carried into printingposition, the back thereof will also be carried into engagement with thestamping devices, so that the latter will stamp thereon a desiredidentifying number. After the paper is exposed to the projected imagefrom a film to be enlarged so as to be printed therewith, the frame I4is swung back onto the loading station platform II, and the printedpaper is removed for development and fixing. These operations may besuccessively repeated until a desired number of prints are obtained.

It will be obvious that the novel easel device not only facilitates thehandling and printing of photographic paper with ease and rapidity, butalso assures accurate and uniform registry of the printed image on thepaper.

It .will be understood that many apparently widely different embodimentsof this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereofas defined in the following claims. It is therefore intended that allmatter contained in the foregoing description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. A device for the purposes described comprising, a base plate having araised loading station platform and a raised printing station plat--form relatively spaced thereon in horizontal plane, the latter platformbeing adapted to be aligned beneath an overhead optical projector, acombined mask and paper holding frame having a paper exposure opening,means to pivotally mount said frame on said base plate intermediate saidplatforms to swing to and fro between the same ior selective supportedengagement therewith, and means for clamping paper to be printed uponsaid frame.

2. A device for the purposes described comprising, a base plate having araised loading station platform and a raised printing station platformrelatively spaced thereon in horizontal' plane, the latter platformbeing adapted to be aligned beneath an overhead optical projector, acombined mask and paper holding frame having a paper exposure opening,means to pivotally mount said frame on said base plate intermediate saidplatforms to swing to and fro between the same for selective supportedengagement therewith, spring means intermediate said hase plate andframe adapted to yieldably retain the latter in supported engagementwith one or the other of said platforms accordingly as selectivelyengaged therewith, and means for clamping paper to be printed upon saidframe.

3. A device for the purposes described comprising, a base plate having araised loading station platform and a raised printing station platformrelatively spaced thereon in horizontal plane, the latter platformbeing' adapted to be aligned beneath an overhead optical projector, acombined mask and paper holding frame having a paper exposure opening,means to pivotally mount said frame on said 'pase plate intermediatesaid platform to swing to and fro between the same for selectivesupported engagement therewith, paper positioning stop means on saidframe for registering applied paper with the frame opening, andyieldable' means for clamping the so applied paper against displacement.

4. A device for the purposes described comprising, a base plate having araised loading station platform and a raised printing station' platformrelatively spaced thereon in horizontal plane, the latter platformbeingadapted to be aligned beneath an overhead optical projector, a combinedmask and paper holding frame having a paper exposure opening, means topivotally mount said frame on said base plate intermediate saidplatforms to swing to and fro between the same for selective supportedengagement therewith, spring means intermediate said base plate andframe adapted to yieldably retain the latter in supported engagementwith one or the other of said platforms accordingly as selectivelyengaged therewith, paper positioning stop means on said frame forregistering applied paper with the frame opening, and yieldable meansfor clamping the so applied paper against displacement.

5. A device for the purposes described comprising, a base plate having araised loading station platform and a raised printing station platformrelatively spaced thereon in Ahorizontal plane, the latter platformbeing adapted to be aligned beneath an overhead optical projector, acombined mask and paper holding frame having a paper exposure openingand means to register applied paper relative to said opening, means topivotally mount said frame on said base plate intermediate saidplatforms to swing to and fro between the same for selective supportedengagement therewith, spring gripping clip means on said frame to holdpaper applied thereto against displacement, and a clip means release pinupstanding from said base and operative to disengage said clip from theapplied paper when said frame is supportingly engaged upon said loadingstation platform.

6. A device for the purposes described comprising, a base plate having araised loading station platform and a raised printing station platformrelatively spaced thereon in horizontal plane, the latter platform beingadapted to be aligned beneath an overhead optical projector, a combinedmask and paper holding frame having a paper exposure opening and meansto register applied paper relative to said opening, means to pivotallymount said frame on said base plate intermediate said platforms to swingto and fro between the same for selective supported engagementtherewith, spring gripping clip means on said frame to hold paperapplied thereto against displacement, a clip means release pinupstanding from said base and operative to disengage said clip from theapplied paper when said frame is supportingly engaged upon said loadingstation platform, and spring means interconnected between said frame andbase plate operative to yieldably retain the frame in supportedengagement with one or the other of saidl platforms accordingly asselectively engaged therewith.

7. A device for the purposes described lcomprising, a base plate havinga raised loading station platform and a raised printing station platformrelatively spaced thereon in horizontal plane, the latter platform beingadapted to be aligned beneath an overhead optical projector, a combinedmask and paper holding frame having an exposure opening, means topivotally mount said frame on said base platform intermediate saidplatforms to swing to and fro between the same for selective supportedengagement therewith, an indicia stamp means yieldably supported fromsaid base plate at the printing station platform for engagement by framecarried paper when the frame is moved onto said platform, swingableinking pad means cooperative with said stamp means, and a linkinterconnecting said frame and pad means whereby movement of the framefrom and toward said printing station platform automatically moves saidpad means into and out of operative contact with said stamp means.

' HARRY S. KIDWELL.

